Trump Sues Media Empire Over Controversial Report, Escalating Feud with Murdoch
The long-running and often unpredictable relationship between President Trump and media titan Rupert Murdoch has entered a volatile new phase. Trump has filed a lawsuit against Murdoch, his media empire, and the parent company of a prominent national newspaper, accusing them of publishing false and defamatory information.
The legal move follows Trump’s fiery posts on social media, where he warned he would take action against Murdoch and the publication. “I’m going to sue his ass off, and that of his third-rate newspaper,” Trump posted Thursday. By Friday morning, he doubled down, stating, “I look forward to getting Rupert Murdoch to testify in my lawsuit… That will be an interesting experience!”
At the center of the dispute is a report published Thursday that described an alleged birthday letter sent by Trump in the early 2000s. The article claimed the letter included typewritten text with the line, “may every day be another wonderful secret,” framed by a hand-drawn outline of a nude woman, and signed by Trump.
Trump has denied any connection to the letter, calling it a fake. “These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don’t draw pictures,” he said in response. His legal filing claims the publication acted with “actual malice,” knowing the document was not authentic when they ran the story.
According to Trump, he had personally reached out to Murdoch in an attempt to stop the article’s publication but was unsuccessful.
The story also referenced past public comments Trump made about Epstein in the early 2000s, including a widely quoted remark in which he described Epstein as a “terrific guy” and commented on his social habits. The two were once seen together at events in the 1990s, though they later distanced themselves from one another.
Trump’s lawsuit marks a sharp turn in his relationship with Murdoch, whom he praised just months ago as “an amazing guy” during a meeting in the Oval Office.
This legal battle carries high stakes for both men. For Trump, the risk lies in provoking Fox News a key media outlet for reaching his base. Though the paper he’s suing targets a more business-minded audience, any fallout that spills into cable coverage could affect Trump’s public standing in a more significant way.
Fox has occasionally criticized Trump’s policy positions, including his approach to tariffs and his leniency toward individuals involved in the January 6 Capitol unrest. But a deeper break could do more than just damage reputations it could shift media loyalty among his supporters.
Murdoch, however, has reasons to tread carefully. Past tensions with Trump led to viewer losses for his network, especially after the 2020 election when some conservative audiences migrated to other outlets perceived as more favorable to Trump. That loss of trust played a role in the fallout from a high-profile defamation lawsuit, which ultimately cost the network over $700 million.
Revelations from that case also showed Murdoch’s private wish that the January 6 events would mark the end of Trump’s political career, and internal emails revealed concerns about losing audience share to competitors further to the right.
While it’s possible the lawsuit could be settled or the feud de-escalated, both men appear to be digging in. If the standoff continues, it could reshape political media narratives and deepen divisions between Trump and once-supportive platforms.